Shevchenko evaluates Ukraine's team and confirms future clash with world champions
Andrii Shevchenko (photo: Getty Images)
The Ukrainian national team has completed the group stage of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and advanced to the playoffs. UAF President Andrii Shevchenko commented on the team's success, as reported by the Ukrainian Football Association.
Success of the blue-and-yellows in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers
Following the results of the qualifying tournament, the Ukrainian national team secured a place in the playoffs, where they will compete for a ticket to the World Championship.
The final stage of the 2026 World Cup will take place in the summer across three host nations: Mexico, the United States of America, and Canada.
Assessing the performance of the Ukrainian team, Andrii Shevchenko emphasized that European qualification traditionally remains one of the most demanding in world football. Despite the high level of competition, the blue-and-yellows managed to pass the group stage and reach the decisive phase of the competition.
"The team demonstrated stability and professionalism. This is especially important considering some complicating factors such as difficult logistics, long trips, and the forced limitation of fan support in stadiums," the UAF president said.
"We are proud of the result achieved and continue moving forward," Andrii Shevchenko added.
Participation in an international football forum
Shevchenko's statement was made during his participation in the prestigious Argentina Olé Summit football forum.
This event, which brought together around 5,000 representatives of the global football industry, served as a platform for discussing key issues in sports development.
Among the speakers was also Claudio Tapia, the president of the Argentine Football Association (AFA).
Historic agreement on a charity match
During the forum, negotiations took place between the heads of the Ukrainian and Argentine football. Andrii Shevchenko took the opportunity to invite the reigning world champions, the Argentine national team, to play a friendly match in Ukraine.
This match is expected to take place after the end of military hostilities. Claudio Tapia confirmed that he accepted this initiative.
The AFA president assured that all financial proceeds from the match would be fully directed toward supporting Ukraine.
